Hong Meirin
frame|right Introduction A Chinese youkai serving as the gate guard of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Generally agreeable, so long as you don't try to sneak past her. Often called China or Chugokuu, due to the fact that her name can be romanized two ways. Debuting in a patch in IaMP but universally regarded as the weakest character in the game, Meirin returns again in Hisoutensoku with considerable upgrades in all aspects. Those of you playing her from IaMP may be disappointed to notice that her dropkick (214) and grazing attack (236) have both been turned into 214 moves, so you can no longer use both at once. An awkward chi beam replaces her 236 graze attack. Advantages: Hong has a wide variety of fast-hitting melee moves with plenty of opportunities for high/low mixups along the way. This is complimented by the fact that most of her air melee can be safely chained together with various bullets on a blocking opponent to produce sometimes unexpected guard crushes. Her 66 series of moves can chain into several powerful spellcards. Her 6C bullet is extremely dense, able to cleanly swipe through Komachi's wisps, and her 5C is formidable as well. Her B shards are good for covering an area so you can move back in to lay down further melee pressure, and if the enemy tries to graze out you can often land and punish them with melee before they can safely block. Her 2A can be used to drain orbs, stagger, push to corners, and gain spellcards. Her red blast alt 623 is the best oki in the game. Disadvantages: A lot of her melee is fairly short range. Her 66A is the only skill of the 66 set that can be chained into a special. Outside of 66A's specials and the rest of 66 -> super combos, her 66 moves do not allow for safe followups. When the enemy recovers from blockstun they'll almost always be able to attack you before you can attack them. She lacks threatening graze attacks outside of her default 214B/C, which has two tempting trade-up options. She has a notable lack of any air-to-ground bullets aside from j.2B shards, which have little to no useful hitstun or damage on their own. Her j.5A is more horizontal than it is vertical so jumpins can be awkward. Of all her bullets, her 6C is the only one with any decent traveling distance, the rest simply move forward into fixed positions and stay there. Normal Moves 5AAA: Dial-A combo. Meiling has 3 finishers for her dial A. :First two A's: Two quick jabs. Old 5A. Hits mid. :Third A: Hits her with her elbow, has enough hitstun to use in combos. Old 66A. Hits high, drains one orb on wrongblock. ::Fourth A: A forward kick, super and special cancellable. Old 5B. Bad hitstun, but can combo into specials unlike the other versions. Note that this kick won't add to limit unlike the other finishers. Hits high, drains one orb on wrongblock. ::6A: A wide open arm attack. Wallslams. Only spellcard cancellable. Deceptively hits high, drains -two- orbs on wrongblock. ::2A: A low sweeping kick. Knocks down. Only spellcard cancellable. Hits low, drains one orb on wrongblock. f.5A: Old 5B, forward kick, somewhat slow. Can combo into 6A at certain distances. 2A: Old 2A. Crouching poke, hits low. Hits 4 times midscreen before enemy is pushed too far away, 6 times in corner, 8 times on Okuu in the corner. Drains half an orb on wrong block. Can strangely hit 7 times in a row if they wrongblock it. 3A: Old 22B, hits low. Drains one orb on wrongblock. 3A: Same as above, but chargeable. Launches into the air briefly on hit. Guard crushes if blocked low. 6A: Old 22A. Meiling charges forward a bit, slamming into the enemy with her back. Hits high, drains one orb on wrongblock. Launches across the screen on hit. 6A: Same as above, but charged. Guard crushes on wrongblock. j.5A: Old j.B. A flying kick. Combos into j.6A, j.8A and j.2A. Hits high, drains 1 orb on wrongblock. Drains half an orb if blocked in the air. This move's hitbox is mostly vertical, making jumpins difficult. j.6A: Same as above, except it launches Meiling forward. Cannot be used close to the ground. Drains half an orb if blocked in the air. j.8A: Two-hitter move. First hit causes Meiling to thrust upwards with her leg raised, second one bring the leg down and launches the enemy into the ground. Can cancel into a bullet after the first hit, and that's only if it connects (regardless of block). Hits high, drains half on orb each hit in the air, one on wrongblock on the ground (which will probably never happen unless you're hitting Utsuho). j.2A: Old j.A. Meiling spazzes about with a teal orb of chi energy in her hands. Two hits. First hits in a lower arc from in front of her chest, all the way down to slightly behind her. Second one goes straight to the top-right. It's much more common for both hits to occur than it was in IaMP, and they have a long enough stun in the air that they can often be followed up on. Drains half an orb on each hit in the air, hits high, drains 1 on wrongblock on ground. Can't get a second hit in on the ground. 66A: A short forward thrust with her elbow, in IaMP. Hits high. Drains 1 orb on wrongblock. All of Hong's 66 moves chain fairly easily into some spell cards. 66B: Some combination of old 214B and 6A. She rushes forward, stomps on the ground while thrusting a palm forward. The stomp and tremor graphic have no hitbox. Hits high despite mid appearance, drains 1 orb on wrongblock. 66C: Old 33C? Meiling does a sweeping low kick as seen in her 3A. Has EXCELLENT momentum preservation, Meiling keeps flying across the screen at a nice rate while using this. Hits low, drains 1 orb on wrongblock. Chains into the following cards: Level 1 Youhou, Comet Kick (not in corner on some chars), Lotus Palm, and most spell cards. Bullet Moves 5B: Old close-C bullet. A quick burst of Chi energy in front of Meiling. Can be charged. 5% limit. Drains 1/2 an orb on block. 5B: Longer range, launches enemy on hit. Drains 1 orb on block. 6B: Old A bullets. Shoots out 7 glowing shards, all a colour of the rainbow, in a wide arc in front of Meiling. Lingers briefly at the end of their flight before vanishing. 2B: Old 2C. Meiling kneels and makes a quick burst of green chi energy erupt from the ground. BIG vertical hitbox, launches on hit. Drains half on orb on block. 5C: Old B-bullets. 'Rainbow swirlies/wheels'. Meiling kicks forward (that is, the kick is in front of her, she doesn't actually move!) and launches a swirly rainbow light about a quarter-screen distance that lingers for a little over a second. 3 hits, 5% limit per, 15% total. Drains 3/4 an orb on full hit. 5C: Charged version of swirly. Bigger, more...swirly and considerably more dense than the regular version. Extra limit, no extra damage. Same orb drain. 6C: Old 2A. Meiling launches a quick chi orb. 3 hits, 10% limit each. Has nice homing properties. Drains 1 orb on block. Fairly dense but whiffs at point blank ranges. 6C: Same as above, only the orb travels much faster. Travels through a blocking opponent too fast to drain as much spirit as the uncharged version. 2C: Old 2B. Meiling jumps into the air and kicks out a swirly above and to the right of her, the bottom of it being about two character heights up. Whiffs at point blank. j.5B: Same as 5B. j.6B: Same as 6B. j.2B: j.5B, only downwards. j.5C: Rainbow swirlies in midair! j.6C: Glowing chi orb in midair, homing. Special Moves Alternate Skill Cards Spellcards Combos Midscreen :5AAA 2B hj9... ::j.5A j.6A j.5B/6B/5C/6C (If near corner) ::j.5A j.6A j.6C (Good midscreen airtech chaser) ::j.6A j.5B/6B/5C/6C (minimal difference, use if 5A won't connect) ::j.5A j.8AA (If you want a guaranteed grounding/knockdown) :Spirit Orb Usage: 2 or 3 :Notes: Works anywhere, hj9 may not connect on some characters. :'''5AAA 2B 2C alt 214C (Flying Flower Kick) - 2200 damage :Spirit Orb Usage: 3 :Notes: 95% limit. Requires level 2 of the card. :5AAAA 214C (Cyclone Light Step) - 2504 at level 3, 2590 damage at max level :Spirit Orb Usage: 1 :Notes: Requires Cyclone Light Step at at least level 3 :5AAAA 623C (Crimson Cannon) - 2158 Damage at level 1, decent midscreen combo :Spirit Orb Usage: 1 :5AAA 2B alt 22B/C (Comet Kick) 2144 at alt skill max :5AAAA 22B/C :Spirit Orb Usage: 1 :Notes: Works anywhere, simple knockdown for nearly 2000 damage. :'j.2A (one hit) 3A 623B :Spirit Orb Usage: 1 :Notes: Works with both a crossup and a non crossup j.2A, 105% limit. :'j.2A j.5C j.66 j.8A j.5C :Spirit Orb Usage: 2, 1813 Damage. :Notes:Immediatley j.8A our of j.66 for it to land, it is possible to j.5A j.6A but they will most likely be too high. :f.5A 5C... ::j.5A j.2A j.5C (2061 damage) ::j.5A j.6A ::j.5A j.6A j.5B/6B/5C/6C (If near corner) ::j.5A j.5A j.8AA (near corner if you want a guaranteed grounding/knockdown) :Spirit Orb Usage: 2 :Notes: Can tack on level 2+ Flying Flower kick but it misses often. :'''22B/C Three Steps "Colorful Mountain Crusher" 236B/C :Damage: 4540 :Notes: Works anywhere. Difficult spacing midscreen. :6A 6C j.5A j.6A :Spirit Orb Usage: 1 :Notes: Must wallslam to hit. 1900 damage, 110% limit. :j.5C 66 j.5A j.6A j.5C :Spirit Orb Usage: 2 1760 damage, 70% limit. Last hit only hits near wall. :3A 2B j.5A j.6A :Spirit Orb Usage: 1 :Notes: Hits anywhere. 1890 damage, limits Near Corner :6A 6C j.2AA :Spirit Orb Usage:1 :Notes: Fast and quite easy. j.2AA may whiff sometimes. 1786 damage, limits. Corner :5AAA 5B 5C 623B/C :Spirit Orb Usage: 3 :'''5AAA 2B 5C j.A j.8A - 2499 damage :Spirit Orb Usage: 2 :Notes: 100% limit :5AAA 2B 5C j.A j.8A j.5C - 2539 damage :Spirit Orb Usage: 3 :Notes: 95% limit, opponent can tech--punish with j.8D j.8A j.5C :5AAA 2B j.2A j.5C j.66 j.A j.8A - 2478 damage :Spirit Orb Usage: 2 :Notes: 100% limit, alternative in case one of them is character dependent :5AAA 2B hj9 j.5A j.8A (1 hit) 214B (Flying Flower Kick) - 2400 :Spirit Orb Usage: 2 :Notes: 100% limit, nice and easy if it's hard for you to do the rest. :5AAA 5B 5C j.A j.2A 623B/C - 2862 damage :Spirit Orb Usage: 3 :Notes: 110% limit. Both hits from j.2A, timing is strict. 623B/C may be character specific. :5AAA 6B 6C 214C - 2397 damage point blank, 2635 at max range :Spirit Orb Usage: 3 :5AAA 6B 6C 236C - 2000 to 2530 damage depending 6B connection :Spirit Orb Usage: 3 :5AAA 6B 6C alt 22C (Comet kick) - 2619 damage :Spirit Orb Usage: 3 :5AAA 6B 6C Three Steps "Colorful Mountain Crusher" 236B/C - 4440 damage :Spirit Orb Usage: 3 :Notes: Limits. You can also chain this into pretty much every other super with ease, just be sure you launch the Comet Kick super as soon as possible or else its tremor won't connect. :3A 2B hj.9 j.5A j. 6A - 2000 damage :Spirit Orb Usage: 2 :Notes: Use when 3A lands. :5AAAA 623B Flowery Sign "Mountain Breaker" (pause) 2C - 2880 damage :Spirit Orb Usage: 1 :Notes: Follow up with the youhou ASAP or else the enemy will fly out of range. Delay 2C (easier to land if you step back a bit so it doesn't land outside the screen) to hit limit. :'''j.2A 5C j.5A j.6A j.5C - 1955 damage :Spirit Orb Usage: 2 :Notes: Use when j.2A lands only one hit. :66A/B/C Flowery Sign "Colorful Light Lotus Flower Palm" 3955(A)/3364(B)/3260© damage :Spirit Orb Usage: 0 :Notes: For 66X connections. :66A/B/C (Glowing 'Comet') 2867(A)/2866(B)/2807© damage :Spirit Orb Usage: 0 :Notes: For 66X connections. Strategies Tranquil as a forest But on fire within Once you find your center You are sure to win You're a spineless, pale pathetic lot And you haven't got a clue Somehow I'll make a China of you Hong Meirin You must be swift as the coursing river Hong Meirin With all the force of a great typhoon Hong Meirin With all the strength of a raging fire Mysterious as the dark side of the moon. Weather Related *'Scorching Sun' Hong's default 623, Crimson Cannon, has the very manly attribute of sending the enemy very far into the air. This goes as well for her two Youhou Supers. Focus on using these moves when you can to take advantage of Scorching Sun's degeneration at higher altitudes. *'Sunshower' Sunshower works as a great way for Hong to (re)gain momentum during the match due to her wide variety of high/low mixups. Make sure you've practiced followups to unexpected guard crushes, or else you won't get much damage benefit out of this weather. This can work to your advantage with supers, too. If the enemy fails to lowblock the stomp of your Comet Kick super, they'll be guardcrushed and forced to eat a flying kick to the face. *'Mountain Vapor' Yeah, it sounds really odd, but Mountain Vapor is a fairly nice weather for Hong. Most of her skill cards and supers are comboable off of either Dial-A, 5AAA, 66A or 66C. Unless you have a lot of system cards in your deck, it's generally safe to take the risk and cast whatever your hidden card is, since few other characters have the luxury of such flexible cards. *'Diamond Dust' Another good weather for Meiling. Since they can't tech, your powerful mixups can keep them in the corner for the entire duration. Instead of focusing on raw damage that the enemy may be able to escape at the end of (since you won't always hit limit), focus instead on moves that force some sort of knockdown like 3A, since the enemy takes a fair amount of damage from just standing up in this weather. If you're cornered, yourself? Rip out level 2 Youhou. Unexpected superarmor!